Amid jitters over whether holiday shoppers can give the economy a year-end lift, here’s an unexpected cause for optimism: Americans aren’t feeling the need to save as much.

The personal savings rate was on the rise earlier this year, climbing from 4.8% in March to 5.6% in September, the highest rate in nearly two years. But new revisions from the Commerce Department show these gains were illusory. The savings rate was dialed down to 5% in September and held steady at that level in October.